Home › The Principles of Cookery › Partridges, Pudding Of

Partridges, Pudding Of

The flavour of partridges is never better preserved than when they are cooked in a pudding. Pluck, draw, and singe a brace of well-kept partridges, cut them into neat joints, and if they are not very young, take off the skin before doing so. Line a quart pudding-basin with a good suet crust, half an inch in thickness, and in trimming it off leave an inch above the edge. Lay a thin slice of rump steak at the bottom of the pudding, then put in the pieces of partridge, season with pepper and salt, and pour over them a quarter of a pint of good brown gravy. Roll out the cover, lay it on the pudding, moisten the edge, and press over it the inch that was left round the rim. Wring a pudding-cloth out of hot water, flour it well, and tie it securely over the pudding. Plunge it into boiling water, and keep it fast boiling all the time it is on the fire; as soon as it is taken off, cut a small round of pastry out of the top, to let the steam escape. If the appearance is not objected to, partridge pudding, like all other meat puddings, is much better when served in the dish in which it was cooked. If it is to be turned out, however, the basin must be thickly buttered before the pastry is put in. A few mushrooms will be a great improvement to this pudding, though it will be very good without. Time, three hours to boil. Probable cost, 4s. 6d. Sufficient for six or seven persons.